In Search of Balander

Stratics Veteran

This is an ongoing Storyline with EM Dudley. Please post with any information you may have to add.

Jim Jones was contacted by Commander Foxx, who had received orders from Lord Casca to search for the great mage Balander. It was said Balander had information regarding an artifact which was thought to have disappeared long ago.
The search started in Moonglow at Balander residency, rotting and uneaten food remained on the table letting us know that he had left in a hurry. In the bed chambers a bag was found containing a journal. We read the journal which not only had some sort of drawing, a page torn out but also information that Balander was going to Trinsic to consult with Kildare, the Royal Surveyor. The journal also mentioned a key was needed to open the hatch once we found this ship.
We found Kildare in her Trinsic office poring over maps. She indeed had been in contact with Balander about this artifact and that he had set out to investigate its whereabouts and bring it back to her. The map we were shown appeared to be that of the lost lands. For several weeks we searched finding several boat wrecks but nothing was in the hatch.
One evening we thought ...where might a great mage as Balander study? Ahh...the First Library of Britain. Next to the shrubbery was a bag containing the stub of a ship rental.
The stub read Vesparian Ventures Charter. We made haste to Vesper, there on the docks we found the charter captain....his name escapes me. He told us that Balander had been there possibly 2 weeks before chartering a salvage boat, he was unable to find a spare key to the boat. The charter captain also said that a man recently had been around asking the same questions. He was a small stature man smelling of sewage.
The search for this Balander was taking on an omnious air. The sewers were scourged by a large party where they were met by foul monsters...Poop Deamons, Feces Elementals and various acrid smelling creatures. Breathing was becoming difficult and Balander was not to be found.
One evening a group had gathered in New Haven discussing the weather, telling stories of adventures when a note was spotted near the bank...it read "Mice like cheese" Cheese was laid out a feast to be exact...Sherry the Mouse made her appearance crawling out of a hole on the side of the bank. She had information about Balander that he had been taken by Lord Casca. Shortly after one of Casca's turncoat guard appeared telling us partying was not allowed, to clean up this mess. He was asked about Commander Foxx and if he was under his command. The guards name starts with an A (help??) Alodar Salafina.
He told us Commander Foxx had no authority, that Casca had given him that job to keep him busy, Casca had yet to determine what to do with Foxx. He told us that there was a bounty on Sherry the Mouse, she was wanted by Casca dead or alive.
Commander Foxx later gathered his detectives, as he had started calling the group, and took us to a secret meeting place in Buc's Den. From that point on that is where we were to gather with any information. He felt his own life and that of Sherry the Mouse was in danger.
We quickly gathered in Buc's Den with Foxx where it was determined that we find a way into Blackthorns Castle. Word spread that one of Casca's own took in a play at the Britain Theatre perhaps we could find information from him. After plying ???? with ale his lips started speaking that Casca was to leave town that week. Plans were made as to how we could get into the castle.
Lord Casca called a meeting on the steps of his residence, Lord Blackthorns Castle the night he was to leave demanding tax monies from the communities, declaring no celebrations or festivals were to be held and then placed a bounty on Commander Foxx.
We met in Buc's Den with Foxx..plans were made to sneak into the castle. The first attempt failed with many deaths no one got into the castle that night. More people and greater ships would be needed. The second attempt went well killing off hundreds of water elementals and krakins we made our way into the castle unnoticed or so we thought. A bag was found revealing that the name of Balanders ship was the Posiden Fury and that Kildare had information. On our way out of the castle to our dismay, we had not gotten in without detection Foxx had been captured.
The search now began for Foxx....Sherry the Mouse had information he was being held in Chaos Shrine....a call to arms went out.
There is information I dont have...please fill in anything you remember names, places ...any and all information is important. I dont know where in the chronological order we got the note about the city of Sand with an eye.

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